A METHOD, DEVICE AND COMPOSITION IN MATERIAL SPRAYING

Abstract: The invention relates to a method for spraying a material (5), characterized in that a spraying medium is supplied to the material as a movable member (2), which is provided with outlets (4) for the spraying medium, is set in motion. The invention also relates to a device for spraying a material, characterized in that it comprises a movably arranged, movable member (2) provided with first outlets (4) for a spraying medium. Thereby, a spraying medium is given such a motion in relation to the material that the outcome of the spraying, e.g. during washing, is just as good as or better than that of the prior art, in spite of the considerably lower consumption of the medium in question. The invention also relates to a rotatably arranged nozzle.

Description: A method, device and composition in material spraying BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART Within most fields concerning spraying, e.g. in connection with material washing, the consumption of liquid is of importance, particularly when it is desirable to supply a washing medium for a cleaning purpose with a certain pressure to the material or the surface of any material that is to be washed. It might for instance be the spraying of cars, hulls of boats, buildings, and also plants or loose material, such as stones or sand. The same applies to the washing of shingle and macadam, which, hereinafter, will be described as an area in which the present invention is applicable. However, the invention is not to be seen as confined to this application, but is supposed to be understood in a wider sense. Consequently, it is also intended for other sorts of applications where a medium for some treat¬ ment purpose, such as washing, is sprayed onto material, a plant or the like. During the washing of shingle and macadam, a distinction is made between dust washing and capillary rise reducing washing, i.e. such washing that leads to a smaller tendency of so called capillary rise in the washed material. A capillary rise tendency as small as possible is desirable in a material which is to be used as a building material for instance. According to prior art, capillary rise reducing washing is imple¬ mented in drums or in open plansifters, and in water baths as to finer fractions. Plan washing machines normally have a capacity of 80-200 tons of material/hour, and the water consumption then is in the range of 1000-2000 litres/minute, i.e. approximately 750-1500 litres/ton material. Washing drums, which are used for finer fractions and smaller quantities than plansifters, normally have a capacity of 25-40 tons/hour, and the water consumption is approximately 750- 1200 litres/minute, depending on the required degree of purity. The water, water being the medium that is generally used in this context, is normally pumped at a pressure of 6-8 bars into manifolds or nozzles that are located in the drum or above a sieving grate arranged at the plan sifter and accordingly sprays the material which is to be washed and which advances within the drum or upon the sieving grate. A drawback of the prior art is the large amount of water which is required for a certain spraying result, in this case the washing result. This drawback also yields problems such as, for in¬ stance, large sludge basins that have to be arranged for the large amounts of waste water, and also the acquisition of water can be troublesome and costly. Another drawback of the prior art is that the nozzles or mani¬ folds used provide too small a spray image, i.e. surface sprayed upon, as at a certain, in general short, distance they are spraying the material that, for instance, is to be washed with the washing medium in question, and when it is required that a good cleaning ability is to be obtained in the sprayed area comprised by the spray image. A particular drawback of the prior art with regard to capillary rise reducing washing is the relatively large capillary rise tendency presented by the washed material, e.g. shingle or macadam, also after the execution of the wash. ig. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION Accordingly, the object of the present invention is to provide a method that reduces the consumed amount of liquid in compari¬ son to prior art during the spraying of a material, as an equiva¬ lent or even better result is obtained from the spraying. Accord¬ ing to the invention, this method is characterized in that a spraying medium is supplied to the material as a movable member, provided with outlets for the spraying medium, is set in motion. Said movable member is preferably a rotatable member, such as a wing, which is rotated and on which nozzles are arranged. Applied to plansifters, e.g. where the spraying relates to washing and the spraying medium is a washing medium, preferably water or a mixture of water and air, this means that the flow provided by manifolds or nozzles of conventional type is substituted by water jets which, under high pressure, are given a brushing effect through the motion of the movable member in relation to the material being washed. A brushing effect is thus obtained without the need of using any conven¬ tional brush. Of relevance is also that a conventional brush becomes worn as it is contact with the washed material, which is not the case with the equipment of the present invention. Through high pressure and the relative motion a better washing effect is thus obtained, with smaller water consumption and thereby also a smaller amount of sludged water. When using particular, rotatable nozzles, which remain to be described, the liquid pressure ought to be at least 50-60 bars and the con¬ sumption of the rotatable nozzle at least 8-8,5 litres per minute. Both figures have a mutual relation to each other where the dis¬ tance between nozzle and stuff also has an influence. Under all circumstances "fog effect" is not allowed to occur. Through simple adjustment, flow-pressure can be changed to go from dust washing to capillary rise reducing washing, so called "scrubbing". The only occasion in which, however, fog effect is really requested is during irrigation of plants, another possible application of the invention. The movable member can be driven by means of oblique posi¬ tioning of the nozzles in relation the to material that is to be sprayed. Drive by means of an electric motor, water turbine or hydraulic means are other possible, alternative methods. In one embodiment, the method takes into account that the outlets are rotated in relation to the movable member. An example thereof is when the nozzle, which is fixed on a rotating wing is rotated in relation to the wing. Thereby the brushing ef¬ fect of the spraying medium, generated by rotational motions, is further amplified. In another embodiment of the method according to the inven¬ tion, the spraying relates to washing and the spraying medium is a washing medium. In yet another embodiment according to the invention, as the material is comprised by fragmental material, the material is moved about as it passes the movable member. This means that the material is subjected to a motion which rearranges the material so that a maximum part of the material will become brushed. This prerequisites that the material is of such a fragmental sort that this can occur, which is the case with shingle and macadam. According to a particular embodiment of the method according to the invention prewashing of the material is included, and according to another embodiment it includes finishing rinsing of the material. Preferably, but not necissarily, prewashing and finishing rinsing take place at a pressure of approximately 20- 25 bars, and with fixed or, preferably, rotating outlets in the form of rotatable nozzles. The invention also comprises an embodiment of the method, which embodiment includes the supply of a capillary rise reducing medium. Preferably this is done after the rest of the washing steps have been finished or in connection with a finishing rinsing step. When such material as shingle or macadam is supplied with such a capillary rise reducing medium as related to, it acquires a significantly smaller capillary rise tendency than if this had not been the case. According to another embodiment of the method of the inven¬ tion, said method is characterized in that the supply of media takes place through the rotating of one or more of the outlets ar¬ ranged for this purpose. The object of the present invention is also to provide a device which leads to reduction of the consumed amount of liquid in comparison with prior art during the spraying of a material, and that an equivalent or even better spraying result is obtained. According to the invention this device is characterized in that it comprises a movably arranged, movable member provided with first outlets for a spraying medium. Preferably, the movable member is a rotating wing and the outlets are, preferably, nozzles arranged on said wing, to which nozzles the spraying medium is conducted through the movable member. Thereby, it is possible to cover a relatively large surface of material which is to be washed with a small number of nozzles. A brushing ef¬ fect of the spraying medium is also obtained, thanks to the mo¬ tion to which it is subjected in relation to the washed material. According to another embodiment, the device is characterized in that the outlets are comprising first nozzles which are rotatable in relation to the movable member. Preferably, these first nozzles are of a sort that will be further described later. These nozzles obtain a high rotational speed as they are flowed through by a spraying medium under high pressure. The rotat¬ ing jets, preferably of water, slung out from the nozzle under high pressure get a brushing effect through their circulating mo¬ tion. At a certain distance from the material to be washed and at a certain pressure, they also provide a larger spray image than conventional nozzles, thereby requiring a smaller number of nozzles in comparison to the prior art. According to one embodiment of the device according to the in¬ vention, the spraying preferably relates to washing, and the spraying medium is a washing medium. According to another embodiment the device is characterized in that it also comprises second nozzles for the supply of a prewashing medium to the material. These nozzles are ar¬ ranged before the movable member, as seen in the material ad¬ vancing direction, i.e. the material which is to be washed passes these nozzles before it passes the movable member. Preferably these nozzles are rotatably designed, which implies the advantage of fewer nozzles being required and the amount of water consumed being reduced. According to yet another embodiment the device according to the invention is characterized in that it comprises third nozzles, intended for the supply of a rinsing medium to the material. Preferably these third nozzles are arranged after the movable member, as seen in the material advancing direction, i.e. the washed material is confronted to the medium sprayed from these nozzles after it has passed or been passed by the movable member. Advantageously, these nozzles are also rotatably designed to give the best possible rinsing effect and the smallest possible consumption of medium. Preferably, this medium is water or, when a small capillary rise is requested, water with the addition of a capillary rise reducing means. Another embodiment of the device according to the invention is characterized in that said device comprises fourth nozzles for the supply of a capillary rise reducing means to the material, and in still another embodiment the third and fourth nozzles are identical, i.e. they are located at the same site in the device and supply the material with an identical mixture of rinsing medium and capillary rise reducing means. A further object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle which is so designed that it, thanks to the direction that it gives the sprayed medium, at a given distance from the material which is to be washed and at a given pressure, provides a larger spray image than does a nozzle or a jet according to the prior art. According to the invention this nozzle for spraying a medium is characterized in that it is rotatably designed. The rotatable design makes it possible to rotate the nozzle while it simultane¬ ously sprays out medium towards a surface which, for instance, is to be washed. Thereby the rotating, brushing motion of the medium, as already mentioned, and a larger spray image is obtained than if no rotatable design exists. According to another embodiment of the nozzle according to the invention, it comprises a fixed part and a rotatable part. In another embodiment of the nozzle, the design of the latter is such that the rotatable part comprises a first rotating means, which, by means of force affection from the medium flowing through the nozzle, is intended to set the rotatable part in rotation. In another embodiment the nozzle is characterized in that the first rotating means is a turbine-like member arranged inside the rotatable part. With turbine-like member is here referred to as, by way of example, a member provided with a turbine blade, which member is arranged inside the rotatable part and sets the latter in rotation when it is subjected to a flow of a medium. According to an alternative embodiment, the first rotating means is a member shaped as a spiral or a thread of a screw and arranged inside the rotatable part, and according to another embodiment, the nozzle comprises a second rotating means to set the medium passing through the fixed part in a rotating motion. Preferably, this rotating means comprises a member shaped as a spiral or a thread of a screw and is arranged in the fixed part. The two spiral-shaped members are preferably arranged with their pitches in different directions. A further embodiment of the nozzle is characterized in that the free end piece of the rotatable part is releasably arranged on said rotatable part. This implies the advantage of easy change of end pieces that have served their time and that end pieces with different designs, which give different spray images, can be substituted by each other according to the desired function. Another object of the present invention is to provide a washing drum for the washing of a material passing through the body of the washing drum, the drum using a smaller amount of liquid in comparison with prior art as an equivalent or even better washing result is obtained. This washing drum is characterized in that it comprises rotat¬ ably arranged nozzles to sprinkle one or more media onto a ma¬ terial. By means of the rotatably arranged nozzles the rotating brushing motion aimed at is obtained. As each of the nozzles respectively has a larger spray image than the nozzles of prior art at a given liquid pressure and a given distance to the material which is to be sprayed upon, a smaller number of nozzles can be employed, with a reduced water consumption as a consequence thereof, without the washing result thereby being deteriorated. According to one embodiment of the washing drum, one or more nozzles are arranged in connection with the part of the washing drum where the material is brought into the latter. They then preferably supply a prewashing medium to the material which is to be washed. According to another embodiment of the washing drum, one or more nozzles are arranged in connection with the part of the washing drum where the material is brought out of the latter. These are preferably used to supply the material with washing medium, finishing rinse medium and, occasionally, capillary rise reducing means. Another object of the invention is to provide a method for capillary rise reducing treatment. This method is characterized in that a capillary rise reducing means is supplied to the material. Preferably the material to be washed is fragmental, mineral material, such as shingle or macadam. A particular embodiment of this method, which comprises an in¬ itial prewashing step, is characterized in that a washing medium is supplied to the material. Any further washing steps are possible between the prewashing and the supply of the capillary rise reducing means. The invention also relates to the use of sodium alcane sul- phonate or sodium benzoate or a mixture of these as the active agent in a washing medium for the treatment of fragmental, mineral material, such as shingle or macadam. It also relates to the use of a polymer emulsion as the active agent in a capillary rise reducing means for the treatment of fragmental, mineral material. A great advantage of these liquids is that they are non-polluting. Furthermore, the washing medium is easy to rinse away. According to a particular embodiment of the present invention, the polymer is a silicone polymer. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The present invention will be more clearly understood in the light of the detailed description given below.and the appended drawings, which are only given by way of illustration and accordingly are not limiting the present invention, and in which: Fig 1 is a side view of a plan sifter according to the invention; Fig 2 is a view from above of the plan sifter of Fig 1 ; Fig 3 is partially broken side view of the washing drum accord¬ ing to the invention; and Fig 4 is a cross sectional view of a rotatably designed nozzle according to the invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Fig 1 shows, schematically, a plan sifter 1 comprising a mov¬ able member 2 in the form of a rotatable wing which is supplied with a medium via a centrally located inlet 3 and which is provided with outlets 4 in the form of nozzles that are rotatable in relation to the wing, to spray out the medium in question onto a material 5 which is to be washed. A preferred embodiment of such a nozzle will be discussed more in detail later. Preferably the medium is water or a water-air mixture. Furthermore, the device comprises a sieving grate 6 on which the material is supposed to be conveyed. The sieving grate 6 slopes downwards in the advancing direction of the material to facilitate the conveying of the latter. At the location on the sieving grate where the material passes the movable member 2, the sieving grate 6 is equipped with a member 7 that moves about or reorganizes the material. This moving about preferably occurs just before the central position of the movable member 2, as seen in the material advancing direction. Here, the member 7 is a cam arranged on the sieving grate. Depending on such factors as the advancing rate of the mate¬ rial, bed thickness, grade, requested degree of purity etc., such parameters as the rate of rotation of the movable member, the distance to the material, the pressure of the medium, composi¬ tion and amount are determined to give the best possible result. In the preferred embodiment the rate of rotation is 1-1 ,5 rota¬ tions per second. From Fig 1 it is, furthermore, seen that the device according to this preferred embodiment is provided with nozzles 8, 9, before as well as after the movable member, as seen in the material advancing direction. In the preferred embodiment these are of a rotatable sort to minimize the number of nozzles required and the amount of water consumed. The nozzles 8 located before the movable member 2 are in¬ tended for the prewashing of the material, the latter being supplied with a prewashing medium. The nozzles 9 located after the movable member 2 are intended for the finishing rinsing, the material being supplied with a means for finishing rinsing, preferably water. These nozzles 8, 9 are arranged on two carriers 10, 11 respectively, which, according to Fig 2, are supplied with water via separate supply lines 13, 14. Accord¬ ingly, in the preferred embodiment, a row of nozzles is arranged on each carrier. A pressure of 20-25 bars is enough for the medium used in the nozzles 8, 9 respectively for prewashing and finishing rinsing, while the pressure of the medium in the movable member 2 preferably is at least 40 bars. Furthermore, in the preferred embodiment, another row of nozzles 15 is arranged after the nozzles 9 for finishing rinsing, as seen in the material advancing direction. These spray the washed material with a capillary rise reducing means, "capillary stop". In Fig 3 a, preferred embodiment of a washing drum 16 accord¬ ing to the invention is shown. This one is designed as a cylinder carried by a shaft (not shown). The cylinder slopes obliquely downwards, as seen in the material advancing direction. In the nearness of its ends 17, 18, where the material to be washed is supplied with different kinds of media, its periphery is formed by a grate or some sort of cloth 19 provided with holes. Its inter¬ mediate portion 20 is formed as a tight washing part, in which the material is supposed to be moved about. The task of the grate or the hole cloth 19 is to permit the washing or rinsing medium that has been supplied to the material to go through to collecting members 21 , 22 for such media, said collecting members being connected to said grate or cloth. Here the collecting members 21 , 22 are formed by fun¬ nels located beneath the drum. In the preferred embodiment a rotatable nozzle 23 is arranged where the material flows into the drum. This nozzle sprays the material with means which preferably contains water and in which sodium alcane sulphonate or sodium benzoate or a mixture of these is included as the active agent. In the opposite end 18 of the drum, a set of preferably rotatable nozzles 24 are arranged in a finishing washing/finishing rinsing purpose. Preferably they use pure water or a mixture of water- air of high pressure, i.e. above approximately 20-25 bars. Moreover, further nozzles 25 are arranged where the material is let out of the drum. These nozzles treat the material with a capillary rise reducing means, in this capillary rise reducing means a polymer emulsion is used as the active agent, the polymer preferably being a silicone polymer. Fig 4 shows a preferred embodiment of a rotatably designed nozzle 26. According to the preferred embodiment shown in Fig 4, this nozzle has a fixed part 27 and a rotatable part 28. Here both parts present a cylindrical design, one of the parts, in this case the rotatable one, being partially positioned on the outside of the other one. A bearing member (not shown) permits the ro¬ tatable part to rotate in relation to the fixed one, and at the same time prevents it from gliding off the fixed part in the lengthwise direction. Furthermore, the rotatable part comprises a first rotating means 29, which, through force affection of a medium flowing through the nozzle 26, is intended to set the ro- tatable part 28 in rotation. Here, this rotating means 29 is comprised by a spiral-shaped member arranged in the rotatable part. The latter can be compared to a part with the shape of a screw thread and is fixedly arranged in the rotatable part 28. Accordingly, a medium flowing through the nozzle 26 will suggest to turn the rotatable part as it hits this first rotating means 29. In this preferred embodiment however, also the fixed part 27 has a spiral-shaped, second rotating means 30. Here the second rotating means 30 is a spiral-shaped member, the direction of thread of which is opposite to that of the rotating means 29 arranged in the rotatable part. This makes the medium conveyed in the nozzle 26 rotate in a certain direction. By varying pitch angles, size of the rotating means and/or the pressure of the medium, the rate of rotation is varied. The free end piece 31 of the rotatable part, and thereby of the nozzle, is releasably arranged on the rotatable part 28, here by means of a threaded coupling 32. This end piece 31 can thus be substituted to be replaced by another end piece, which as to shape, number of outlet openings, design and direction of the latters etc., differs from the former. Of course the invention is not in any way confined to the preferred embodiments described above, but a plurality of possibilities of modifications thereof will be obvious to a man skilled in the art, without the embodiments diverging from the scope of the invention. For instance, instead of a movable member in the form of a rotating wing, it is possible to use a member which executes some other motion, e.g. an oscillating one, in relation to the ma¬ terial being sprayed. Likewise, the described plan sifter can be designed in different ways, e.g. as a perforated conveyor band, any sloping of the device no longer being required. Moreover, the washing medium and the capillary rise reducing means is preferably comprised of water besides the active agents respectively. A significantly reduced water consumption is obtained with a device according to the invention at a plan sifter for shingle or macadam. When the water consumption of the prior art is approximately I000-2000 litres/minute, the consumption for the device according to the invention is only in the order of 100-200 litres/minute.

Claims: Claims 1. A method for spraying a material (5), characterized in that a spraying medium is supplied to the material as a movable member (2), provided with outlets (4) for the spraying medium, is set in motion. 2. A method according to claim 1 , characterized in that the motion relates to rotating. 3. A method according to claim 1 or 2, characterized in that the outlets (4) are rotated in relation to the movable member (2). 4. A method according to any of the preceding claims, charac¬ terized in that the spraying relates to washing and the spraying medium is a washing medium. 5. A method according to any of the preceding claims, charac¬ terized in that the material is moved about while being brought to pass the movable member (2). 6. A method according to any of the preceding claims, charac¬ terized in that it includes prewashing of the material. 7. A method according to any of the preceding claims, charac¬ terized in that it includes finishing rinsing of the material. 8. A method according to any of the preceding claims, charac¬ terized in that it includes the supply of a capillary rise reducing medium to the material. 9. A method according to any of the claims 6-8, characterized in that the supply of media is accomplished through the rotation of one or more outlets (4, 8, 9, 15) arranged for this purpose. 10. A device for spraying a material, characterized in that it comprises a movably arranged, movable member (2) provided with first outlets (4) for a spraying medium. 11. A device according to claim 10, characterized in that the movable member is rotatably arranged. 12. A device according to claim 10 or 11 , characterized in that the outlets (4) comprise first nozzles, rotatable in relation to the movable member. 13. A device according to any of claims 10-12, characterized in that the spraying relates to washing and that the spraying medium is a washing medium. 14. A device according to any of claims 10-13, characterized in that it comprises second nozzles (8) for the supply of a prewashing medium to the material. 15. A device according to claim 14, characterized in that the second nozzles (8) are rotatably designed. 16. A device according to any of claims 10-15, characterized in that it comprises third nozzles (9), intended for the supply of a rinsing medium to the material. 17. A device according to claim 16, characterized in that the third nozzles (9) are rotatably arranged. 18. A device according to any of claims 10-17, characterized in that it comprises fourth nozzles (15) for the supply of a capillary rise reducing medium to the material. 19. A device according to claim 17-18, in which the third (9) and fourth (15) nozzles are identical. 20. A nozzle (26) for spraying out a medium, characterized in that it is rotatably arranged. 21. A nozzle according to claim 20, characterized in that it comprises a fixed part (27) and a rotatable part (28). 22. A nozzle according to claim 21 , characterized in that the rotatable part (28) comprises a first rotating means (29), which, through force action from a medium flowing through the nozzle, is intended to set the rotatable part (28) in rotation. 23. A nozzle according to claim 22, characterized in that the first rotating means (29) is a turbine-like member arranged inside the rotatable part. 24. A nozzle according to claim 22, characterized in that the first rotating means (29) is a spiral-shaped member arranged inside the rotatable part (28). 25. A nozzle according to any of the claims 20-24, charac¬ terized in that it comprises second rotating means (30) to set a medium that passes through the fixed part in a rotating motion. 26. A nozzle according to claim 25, characterized in that the second rotating means (30) comprises a spiral-shaped member arranged in the fixed part (27). 27. A nozzle according to any of claims 21-26, characterized in that the free end piece (31) of the rotatable part is releasably arranged on said rotatable part. 28. A washing drum (16) for the washing of a material passing through the body of the washing drum, the washing drum being rotatably arranged, characterized in that it comprises rotatably arranged nozzles (23, 24, 25) for spraying the material with one or more media. 29. A washing drum according to claim 28, characterized in that one or more of the nozzles are arranged in connection with the part (17) of the washing drum where the material is brought into the latter. 30. A washing drum according to claim 28 or 29, characterized in that one or more of the nozzles are arranged in connection with the part (18) of the drum where the material leaves the lat¬ ter. 31. A method for capillary rise reducing treatment, charac¬ terized in that a capillary rise reducing means is supplied to the material. 32. A method according to claim 31 , which comprises an initial prewashing step, characterized in that a washing medium is supplied to the material. 33. The use of a sodium alcane sulphonate or sodium benzoate, or a mixture of these two, as the active agent in a washing means for the treatment of a fragmental, mineral material. 34. The use of a polymer emulsion as the active agent in a capillary rise reducing means for the treatment of a fragmental, mineral material. 35. The use of a polymer emulsion according to claim 34, characterized in that the polymer is a silicone polymer.

Inventors: WILJE OSCAR, WILJE, OSCAR
Applicants: WILJE OSCAR, WILJE, OSCAR
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B03B5
IPC codes: B03B5, B05B3, B07B1